


Curiosity Reaching Out

by DemonMamoru, WinchesterWarrenSon



Series: Understanding Goku [2]
Category: Dragonball, Dragonball Z
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Developmentally Disabled Goku, F/M, Family Dynamics, Other, PTSD, childhood confusion, confusion over the definition of consensual sex, discussion of gender structures, discussions of asexuality/bisexuality/homosexuality, discussions of polyamoury/aromanticism, discussions of sex/rape, familial dysfunction, ideological differences, includes talk of non-binary/transgender/genderfluid people, mature - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-16
Updated: 2014-12-05
Packaged: 2018-02-21 09:08:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2462639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemonMamoru/pseuds/DemonMamoru, https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinchesterWarrenSon/pseuds/WinchesterWarrenSon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Goku comes back to Earth, with questions of his own morality. Dende answers the best he can with assistance from Mr. Popo. Their discussions branch everything from what it means to be a father, to be a husband, and what it is to be a friend. As Goku learns more and more, he begins to question more about himself. Still, there is only so much Dende can tell him about what happened to Chichi and Gohan. And what his youngest son, Goten, is like. In this, Goku begins to understand the repercussions that his death had on his wife and son, and just how far their emotional wounds go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> DM: This is part 2. I'm surprised this fic has made it this far, but thanks to the ever-inspirational WinchestWarrenSon, I've been able to keep up with this story on top of my college work. (Which is a lot more difficult than it sounds, this term especially has a big workload, and I'm only finishing up week 3.) We hope you enjoy this chapter, and please leave us kudos and comments about what you like, think could be improved, etc. If you spot any spelling errors or anything like that, please let us know in the comments so that one of us can fix it. ^w^ Now, I'm sure you're tired of reading this, so on with the story!

Dende heard the sound of feet hitting stone, accompanied by the familiar feel of Goku’s ki, and looked around, then spotted a mostly-naked Goku. _Well, at least he's wearing underwear_ , thought the Namekian.

"Hi, Goku," Dende waved a hand in greeting.

"Hey." It took Goku a moment to realize it was nighttime, and that it was cold up on the Lookout, and to remember that he was only wearing his boxers. He brought his arms and hugged himself. It wasn't freezing, but it was rather nippy. "It's a little colder here than I thought it would be, eh heh...."

"Heh," Dende stood up. "C'mon inside, the kitchen is warm, and I'll make you something warm to drink." He walked towards a door that lead inside, where it was warmer.

Goku had a bit of spring to his step as he followed Dende into the building. He felt the warmth hit his skin as they headed for the kitchen, and it helped him feel much more comfortable.

"You've really grown a lot since I was last here."

"You bet. Me and Gohan are about the same height now," Dende chuckled, "Piccolo was wondering about why I'm not an adult now, since he grew to be fully grown in about three years. I told him Namekian growth rates were similar to humans, and he didn't say much after that."

"Huh. Well, you look good!" Goku remarked, and it was true. Of course, Goku thought everyone looked good, but he didn't see why that mattered at all. "How is Gohan?"

"He's…better now. He's been going to high school, and he's been getting good grades, so Chichi is happy, and so far, he seems to really enjoy it. And he comes up here to visit with me and Piccolo every chance he gets."

Goku brightened up some. "That's good! He likes learning." The way in which Dende said the word better was a little lost on Goku. He heard the positives, and those stood out far better to him than any implied negatives that Dende was avoiding.

"And he's really good at it too! Goten, not so much. Goten is so much like you," Dende shook his head, "it's almost unreal."

Goku tilted his head a little. "Goten? Who's Goten?"

"…Your youngest son."

"Oh." Goku furrowed his eyebrows a little, his face screwed up in thought. "How'd that happen? I've been dead, so how can I have another son?" He can't take a kid under his wing if he's dead, so how could he have a child other than Gohan?

 "Well, you must have had sex with Chichi sometime before you went off to right Cell, right?" Dende's cheeks were dusted with a light purple blush as he asked Goku this question.

Goku's eyebrows lifted high, and he looked at Dende with a rather non-comprehending expression. "Well, yeah, we did, but what does that have to do with children?"

"Goku…sex is how children are created. After sexual intercourse, a woman-in this case, Chichi-can become pregnant. During pregnancy, a woman's body creates a baby, and after nine months, a baby is born. If you remember, did Chichi have a big stomach in the few months before Gohan was born?"

Goku thought about it for a few moments, then, "Now that you mention it, she did, but . . . I thought she was just putting on weight.... One day, I had gone out to get firewood and food for dinner, I came back, and Chichi had Gohan in her arms. Though he didn't have a name yet...."

"Oh, Goku, when he appeared, that means that she had given birth. Gohan had been growing inside her, and then it was time for him to leave her body."

Goku lifted a hand to scratch at his head, the concept sounding . . . strange. "But . . . what was he doing in there? Why'd he have to grow inside her? Wasn't it crowded in there with Chichi's organs?"

"Women's bodies are designed to be able to have children. Her organs are made to accommodate a baby while she is pregnant."

"Oh." Goku said, accepting that answer. Though he didn't really get how a baby came from sex, but if Dende said they did.... "So . . . after Chichi and I had sex, Gohan started living in Chichi's body, then he came out and started living in the house.... And this Goten did the same thing after Chichi and I had sex again before the Cell Games, and he's living with Chichi and Gohan now.... Right?"

"Well, that's an extreme way of simplifying it, but yes. That's correct, Goku."

"So . . . babies don't usually randomly show up at people's houses and get adopted by strangers that become their parents?"

"No, that would be extremely unusual," Dende said, eyes wide and tilting his head in confusion.

"Oh." Goku said, frowning. "I thought . . . that happened to everybody...." Goku scratched the back of his head some as he thought about it. It's how Grandpa Gohan raised him after all, and it was where he thought Gohan came from....

"Goku, your grandfather finding you and raising you was due to unusual circumstances. Remember, you came to Earth in a Saiyan pod. Most parents have kids by having sex," the young Namekian clarified.

Goku nodded to show that he heard Dende, but his brain was still wrapping itself around the concept. "So . . . Goten really is my kid. 'Cause he can be my kid even though I'm not there...."

"Exactly," Dende nodded, smiling at Goku, happy that even though the Saiyan didn't understand how it worked, that he at least understood that he didn't have to be around for Goten to be his child.

While Goku sat down on one of the chairs by the table, Mr. Popo entered the room.

 “Ah, Goku! What a pleasant surprise. And Dende, what are you still doing up? Don’t you normally go to sleep by now?” Mr. Popo’s face had an almost scolding tone, he knew Kami when he was young needed to sleep at some point, and in this instance, Dende understood that Mr. Popo was a ‘fatherly’ figure, or as much as a Namekian could have, given the differences between Terra and Namek society.

“Yes,” Dende rubbed a green hand on the back of his head, “but Goku has some important questions, so I’m staying up to answer them. Also, Mr. Popo, do we have any clothes that will fit him?”

“Hmmm, I believe that I can find something to fit you, Goku,” Mr. Popo gave a bow, and exited the room.

"Thanks, Mr. Popo," Goku said, glad for the offer of clothes. While it was warmer in the kitchen, it was still rather chilly up on the Lookout in general. Goku then focused on Dende again. "So . . . I'm a dad of two now.... Huh." He was working on getting used to the idea. Though it was a little difficult to do so when he didn't know what kind of person Goten was. But he was sure he was a good boy, like Gohan.

That then redirected Goku's attention to the reason he was there. "Oh yeah! Dende, what's the difference between a friend and a son?"

Dende thought for a moment on how best to simplify the differences, and decided to start with how a person became a friend, compared to how families were started. "A friend is someone that you meet, who you grow to trust. A son is a person who is created because of you, and you're there for them you're entire life. A father has different responsibilities to his son than to a friend. For example, Goku, you provided food for Chichi and Gohan on a daily basis, keeping Gohan from getting hungry. I know that if one day, Krillen showed up at your house hungry, that you would give him something to eat, but providing for him wouldn't be something that happens every day for years. Basically, you're responsibilities to Gohan, and Goten, are different from the responsibilities to your friends. A father provides for his family, in ways friends usually don't provide for each other."

Goku nodded. He understood that for the most part. He hadn't realized that the providing food for them thing made them different from his friends, but he understood why that was a responsibility. But....

"Is there . . . other stuff a father is supposed to do? 'Cause Cell said . . . Cell said I wasn't a good dad and laughed at me when I didn't understand what he was talking about.... Is there something I didn't do that I was supposed to?"

"Well, fathers have a duty to protect their children, especially the younger ones. As children age, both parents teach their kids how to protect themselves in the world, when they get old enough to leave the house for greater periods of time. This is both mentally and physically. But when they're young, the responsibility to keep them from getting hurt rests on the shoulders of their parents."

Goku listened, then nodded. Yeah, he understood protecting them from harm. He definitely did that for Gohan.... But he furrowed his eyebrows some, picking up on the specification on mentally and physically part. "What would be considered protecting them . . . mentally?"

"Well, that would probably be like…not putting them into situations they aren't ready for. Like Chichi made Gohan study for school, so when he started, he wasn't unprepared for the material that would be taught."

"And like how I helped Gohan train for those battles in advance?" Goku asked for confirmation. "That was keeping him from going unprepared into a situation, right?"

 Dende's face looked uncertain before he hesitatingly answered. "Well, yes and no. Yes, because you trained him in body. But, in the Cell Games, you didn't tell Gohan that you planned for him to fight Cell until the last second. So while he was prepared in body, he wasn't prepared in his mind. Add to that that, Gohan firmly believed that you were stronger than him, that you could beat any opponent that presented himself to you, and that you would be able to protect everyone."

Goku frowned a little bit, but it wasn't because he didn't like what he was hearing . . . per se. He wasn't frowning because he was being called out, but because he was thinking about it and how Gohan had felt (or might have felt) and . . . despite Gohan being his child, it wasn't that easy to do.

"I thought that if I told him off the bat, then he'd work himself into a nervous fit during what should've been down time and then over-exert himself.... I never really understood why he always seemed so nervous, but he takes a lot of stuff really seriously...."

He flushed a little as he admitted the next part. "And I kind of thought it was obvious that he was stronger than me. In the hyperbolic time chamber, he made so many improvements...."

"Gohan doesn't share the same love for fighting that you and Vegeta do. He likes it, but not to the death kind of combat that you seem to excel at. I can see why you didn't tell Gohan, but still, there was a whole year for him to get used to the idea of fighting Cell, which would have given him time to acclimate to the idea of the competing in the Cell Games. And as for his development, he never seems to know just how strong he actually is, like you, some things have to be told to him directly, because he can't always infer the meaning."

"Oh." Goku said simply. He bowed his head a little, his face scrunched up in thought as he weighed the facts. "Piccolo talked about . . . how Gohan feels about fighting.... During the games. I really hadn't . . . thought of it that way until he mentioned it.... And I definitely hadn't . . . thought of it like THAT before...."

Then something that Dende mentioned earlier stuck out in his head, and it made him widen his eyes a little and lift his head up.

"You said Gohan was doing . . . 'better.' What's he . . . better from?"

The white of Dende’s eyes became more pronounced, and he looked away, mind trying to gasp words like sand falling through his fingers. His body language screamed out his reluctance to say anything, but knowing that Goku deserved to be aware of the difficult times that Gohan had gone through after Goku’s death. Admittedly, the teen had put on a good performance at first, pretending that he was ok with his father’s decision, but as it sank in, the more upset Gohan became. And even if Goku didn’t understand why his death affected Chichi and Gohan so strongly, he would want to know. As a friend, he would like to understand. But as a father, and now perhaps more aware of the role he played in his family, he would have to be aware of the truth of what happened. Taking a deep breath, resigned to tell this part of Gohan’s history, he began to speak.


	2. What about Gohan?

"…After your death, he was…in a dark place. Depressed, and angry a lot. He spent a lot of time of up here, sparring with Piccolo for an outlet, and talking to me, and Mr. Popo. He was that way for a few months, but when Goten was born…I think that helped him a lot, having someone to look out for, someone who doesn't know anything about fighting, or the violence people are capable of. Now, he seems…not all better, but he's definitely improved from the first few months that you were gone."

Goku tilted his head to the side. He understood what Dende said when he said Gohan had been angry (though angry about what, he wasn't really sure yet), but the other word Dende used....

"Depressed?" Goku asked, prompting for clarification. He didn't really know what that meant.

"Depressed is…being sad all the time," Dende supplied.

Goku stared at Dende for a little while, then frowned a bit more as he tried to visualize what that must've been like.

He couldn't. It was a completely foreign concept to him. How could someone be sad ALL the time?

"What was he sad about?" Goku asked.

"Mostly…from what he told me, missing you, and other things like being frustrated with his home life with his mom added to it. Chichi was going through a hard time too, and that also played a part in Gohan's depression. Even though they both understand why you did what you did, that didn't make it any easier to live with."

Goku furrowed his eyebrows, frowning more. "It was . . . hard for them?" He hadn't expected it would be....

He felt . . . he felt like he had greatly misunderstood . . . everything. He felt like he was stupid. He felt....

He felt like his head was getting the foggy feeling again.

"Gohan and Chichi felt especially close to you. You were an important part of their life, their center. And when you left, they were sad. Of course, everyone else was sad too, but you're absence hit them especially hard."

Goku's frown deepened. He hadn't . . . he hadn't thought . . . he hadn't meant. . . . But....

"But they're doing better now, you said?" He asked, seeking assurance that they were fine.

"Yes. Time helps to heal emotional wounds, and it has been four and half years since you died or had any contact with them."

It was good to know that they were doing better. But . . . he really hadn't thought that it would . . . cause problems for them. Him not coming back.

But he was also at a loss as to . . . why it caused them problems.

Yes, if anything bad ever happened to Chichi or Gohan, he'd feel terrible. Much like he felt terrible when his grandfather had died and when Krillin had been murdered and Yamcha, Tien, and so many of his other friends.... But he accepted his grandfather's death and moved on rather easily, and he had been so thankful for being able to wish his friends back to life. But there was also the knowledge that he'd . . . never dwell on it. It wouldn't haunt him at all. He would think of them sometimes and miss them, but he'd just . . . let it go.

It never occurred to him that Gohan and Chichi . . . wouldn't do that. Or . . . couldn't?

Goku found himself in a trail of thought that he was getting lost in, and as a result, it made him rather quiet for a few moments.

Mr. Popo returned to the room, with a similar gi of what Goku's was, except this one was dark blue, "I managed to find something left over from training the others. This should fit you **,"** he handed over the stack of clothes to Goku.

Goku looked up at Mr. Popo entered the room. He gave him a smile and took the gi from him. "Thanks. I owe you one." He unfolded it and worked on slipping it on. The action was simple and familiar, but it was also something Goku could focus on instead of the thoughts running around in his head.

"Goku…" Dende started, "what were you thinking just now?"

Mr. Popo began to get some things from the fridge and got out pots and pans. When Goku was at the Lookout that meant that Mr. Popo, being the kind host he was, would prepare food. Even Dende liked to eat, due to the variety of cuisine Earth had, even though he could subsist on nothing but water.

Goku looked over at Dende as he tied the belt around his waist. "Hm? Oh...." He frowned again and kept his head lowered. "Just . . . how much I . . . miscalculated how they'd feel.... Gohan and Chichi.... I think I really . . . I don't know if I understand them at all anymore and that . . . the idea that I've made decisions that hurt them badly worries me because I never wanted to-I didn't want to hurt anybody, and I thought it'd be okay...."

"Oh…Goku, when someone important, or a loved one dies, that takes time to get over. If the same happened to you, I take it you wouldn't dwell on it too much, and just accept it. But most people mourn, and feel heat broken for quite some time **,"** Dende explained, trying to be gentle with his words, but still get the truth across. The truth was a harsh thing, but Goku had to know, had to understand, before he could finally get what Chichi and Gohan went through.

Goku's frown deepened, and he felt a surge of emotion swell in his chest, accompanied by that annoying burning that happens to your eyes when you might cry. His ki fluctuated slightly as he gradually grew more upset with himself and his own decisions and learning far too late what he had done, though he had no real way of knowing just how little he really truly understood what it was. He had never experienced the heartbreak that he had put Chichi and Gohan through-and might never, now that Goku thought about it. And suddenly that felt scary. That he was somehow this out of touch with how other people felt . . . and yet caring so much for those people....

Was something wrong with him?

Something connected in his brain, and he looked back up at Dende. "You said Piccolo's up here, right? And that he and Gohan still spend time together, right?"

"He still comes around, but only about one weekend a month, since he's in school, and has to study hard."

Goku's brain absorbed that information, and he was about to ask something different, but then his brain got hooked onto something that surprised him about that.

"Studying takes up that much time?"

"He's in one of the best high schools, and he has many advanced placement classes, so he’s busy with homework and getting ahead," Dende explained.

Goku just stared at Dende for a few moments, his brain trying to come up with meaning for those statements, but it just wasn't quite connecting. "What's . . . advanced placement?"

"It means his classes are harder, and there's more things to learn than in a normal version of a class. Imagine if you were going to train someone. Suppose you had two people to train, and get them to the same level of strength. But you have one month to train one, and four months to train the other. So, the person that would be training for one month would be training more intensively, right?"

"Oh! Yeah, they would be. Wow." He had always known Gohan was smart, but this was surprising. In a good way. Goku smiled a little bit. He was proud of his son. Gohan was a lot smarter than Goku ever could be. "So he's got, like . . . a school master teaching him instead of a martial arts master? Teaching him all that stuff?"

"Well, he has different teachers for different classes, but yes, each teacher is specialized in what they teach, more than just a normal teacher would be **,"** Dende gave him a smile and a nod, letting him know that he got it right.

Goku's eyes widened a little as he imagined what it would be like to have several different teachers all at once teaching him different techniques and stuff. It was the only way he could actually visualize what it was like for Gohan. His eyes got wider as he put together just how complicated learning all that stuff at once must be.

"Wow!" he exclaimed, his mouth opening a little. "And he's able to keep it all in his head? Without getting it all mixed up?"

"For the most part, that's why he has to study, to keep from forgetting things or mixing them up."

Goku sat there in awe for a few moments. Gohan could do all that? Even with learning new techniques, he had to do it one at a time until he mastered it. Then he never forgot it and could do it whenever. But if he learned multiples at once, he never could remember it. Sometimes he'd make stuff up on the spot, but it wouldn't stick.

After a while of letting that absorb in his brain, his mouth broke out into a big grin. "Gohan's awesome!"

He always knew that, but he felt like he had a bit of a better appreciation for it now.

He wasn't really aware of it, but he kind of looked like a kid who had just realized just how cool his hero was-which was interesting because his relationship with Gohan was quite the other way around.

Dende smiled softly **, "** yes, Gohan's the top of his class, and has been since…" Dende hesitated, not wanting to give away just how long Gohan had stayed out of school due to the toll his father's death had taken on him **, "** …since he started going back."

Goku didn't pick up on the hesitation in Dende's voice. He was still reeling from the fact that Gohan really, _really_ had talent in something he really hadn't given much thought to at all. He had just known that it mattered a lot to Chichi and that Gohan at least seemed to like it, but he had never really gotten why it was important. But if Gohan could do that, when school and learning with those books was so hard-Gohan really was incredible!

Though with the revelation came with the cementing of the fact that he really, really didn't . . . know Gohan. He didn't understand him, and . . . that was a problem.

The smile faded from his face, and he bowed his head a little as he thought about it.

"Dende, where's Piccolo right now?"

No one knew Gohan better than Piccolo.


	3. Talking

"Piccolo is currently down on Earth, meditating. He's on an island north of Kame house," Mr. Popo said, fiddling with cooking something on the stove, "but he did say he would be returning at dawn, and that's only about three hours from now. Would you like to stay here and wait for him? I'm already starting breakfast, and you're more than welcome to stay and eat with us."

Dende turned to Goku.

Goku weighed his options. Food did sound good.... 

"Okay, I'll wait for him, then." 

He made himself a bit more comfortable, since he wasn't about to instant transmit over there. 

He also wasn't sure if he was done talking to Dende just yet, either. 

He perched himself on the edge of his seat and propped his elbows onto the table. 

"Top of his class...." A small smile returned to his face. He was very proud of his son, even if he didn't really understand what exactly it meant.

"Chichi and even Piccolo are both proud of him too," Dende smiled, "and he's spent time up here studying too. Says it's quiet and that helps when he really needs to focus."

Goku nodded, knowing the appreciation of quiet. Quiet places made good locations for training. And if studying was training of the mind, then it made sense that it would be a good place for studying too. 

"Chichi had always pushed the studying. She understood it a lot better than I did." His smile widened as he imagined how happy she must've been with how well he was doing.

"Chichi has been easy to get along with recently, with Gohan doing so well and all," Dende agreed.

Goku's smile widened even more. "That's good. She was always mad about something or other before.... But she's really sweet when she's happy." He liked her best when she was happy. And it was why he agreed to marry her; she said it would make her happy... But he supposed it hadn't really worked out that way.

"Goku…" Dende started. "You said you think of Chichi as your friend. Do you feel…romantic feelings towards her?" The Namekian was puzzled as to why Goku had actually married her. Not that Chichi was a mean person, she wasn't, it was more that Dende didn't really understand marriage.

Goku raised his eyebrows a little at Dende's question. Then he shrugged. "I dunno. I don't . . . feel any differently towards her than I do anyone else.... I agreed to marry her 'cause she went all the way to the Tenkaichi Budokai 'cause she was mad I skipped out on our wedding. Though I didn't realize it was a wedding. Or knew what a wedding was. And she was so mad, but then she was so happy to be with me again, and . . . I wanted her to be happy. Like how I want Yamcha and Krillin and Bulma and the others to be happy.... She just didn't stay happy, and I couldn't really figure out why. Sometimes she'd be happy again and I couldn't really figure out why that was either." Goku brightened up a little. "But she liked it when Gohan and I were home and spending time with her. That was why I planned those days of rest before the Cell Games. In case anything happened and . . . I wanted to make sure she got to be happy before...."

"Wow, that's really…selfless of you," Dende settled on the word.

Goku shrugged. "She's kind of scary when she's angry, but she cooks really well. And she's a good mom to Gohan."

"Yeah, heh," Dende laughed, "there's even been times where she's been like a mother to me when Gohan brought her up here to visit."

Goku looked surprised at that, but then he grinned brightly. "That's Chichi!" 

Goku had fond memories of her. Though a lot of them were also confused ones. Much of the time, he had no idea what she was thinking or wanting to do or why she wanted to do it. And often she'd yell at him and he wouldn't understand why she was angry or yelling in the first place. But he let her do her thing, and he liked watching her do her thing, even though he didn't understand why she felt the need to do the laundry every day or the dishes or other things like that. 

He didn't really get why she didn't like him doing his thing, but he supposed it was because it meant he wasn't at home as much. And she liked it when he was at home. But sometimes, being at home just drove him crazy. He couldn't stand being stuck in one place with mostly things that made his head hurt, things he couldn't make sense of too much all the time. 

He liked Chichi, but sometimes she made the fuzzy feeling happen really badly, and he felt cooped up in their house too easily, and he just . . . felt better being out and adventuring.

Dende was silent while Mr. Popo put mounds of still-hot food on the table, then a plate with a napkin, fork, knife, and spoon in front of Goku. 

"Dig in," he said happily, going back to tend to the waffles and pancakes that were on a skillet.

Goku brightened up more at the presence of food, and he got working on the food almost as soon as it was placed in front of him, giving himself a moment to shout "Itadakimasu!" before digging in. 

He focused on the taste and the textures of the food for a while, though eventually his mind went back to why he was visiting, what Cell had said, what he did and didn't understand about Chichi and Gohan, how he didn't know how to fix what he had apparently broke.... 

And he apparently had another child.... 

"What's Goten like?" Goku asked seemingly out of the blue. 

"He's like a miniature version of you," Dende replied. "Same hair, same eyes, and the same attitude as you. He's always happy, even if he doesn't get why Chichi or Gohan get sad sometimes, he's always cheering them up. You'd love him to death, everyone does. Even Vegeta tolerates him, when Bulma babysits him when Chichi and Gohan can't."

Goku listened, his smile returning as he continued to eat. "Is he learning to fight too? Or is he studying too?"

"Actually, here's where it gets funny," Dende giggled a bit, "Chichi is training him."

"What!?" Goku almost put the plate he was holding down. "She is!?" 

Now THAT didn't make any sense at all. "But she's been so against training!"

"I know! But she does, and even Gohan trains with him from time to time. And Vegeta's son Trunks and him play together all the time and train together too. And…both Goten and Trunks can go Super Saiyan."

"Whoa! Really!? That's awesome!" Goku stood up, getting excited about the prospect of two tiny Super Saiyans. His brain was already jump-starting to imagining training with them and how fun that would be. 

His excitement was a bit too obvious, and it also pushed out quite a few of his previous thoughts and concerns.

"Well, don't tell Vegeta that Trunks can do it. He hasn't told his father yet, and I think it's because Trunks is pretty intuitive, and doesn't want to upset him," Dende said, understanding why Goku would be excited to hear about two Saiyan kids who had already been able to turn super. At the same time, he knew that Goku needed to go over what had happened. Still, Goku deserved to have happy moments, so Dende decided not to say anything until Goku started asking questions again.

"Oh, okay. It's a secret!" Goku was grinning widely, super excited about this prospect. "How'd they become Super Saiyans?"

"Well, Trunks was in the gravity room, and he got angry that he couldn't keep up with Vegeta, who he looks up to, and since anger is a key part of being able to turn super, he apparently was mad enough that he turned that night. And after finding out that he could, he became stronger in his normal form, since I guess when you turn super that unlocks power in a Saiyan. 

And as for Goten, one day Chichi was pushing him really hard, and landed in one hit too many, and out of shock and pain, he turned super instinctually. Chichi was in for quite a shock, and then told him not to do it, unless it was an emergency. And I'm not sure Gohan knows about Goten being able to go super either."

Goku was bouncing in his seat as Dende told him about Trunks and Goten. 

He was a little surprised to hear that it has been rather easy for Trunks and Goten, but that didn't disappoint him. If anything, it made him even more excited about it. Just how much innate talent and power did they have for fighting if it came so easily to them? It was something that really got Goku fired up. 

"That is so cool! I really want to see it!"

"Well," Dende looked over at Mr. Popo, "I suppose I could always give Gohan a call and have him bring Goten up here with him when he visits this weekend. And I don't know about Trunks, but I think if we can get Goten to invite Trunks over before Gohan comes up here we could get them here if you wanted to meet them."

Goku's face brightened up considerably, and he actually did jump up out of his seat. "Really?! You mean it?!" He started to bounce up and down on the balls of his feet. "Awesome!" 

His mind was running wild with thoughts of getting to spar with the youngest half-Saiyans, and it was making him even more excitable. It was rather obvious on his expression that he had gotten so wrapped up in the idea that it might take some prodding or time to get him back on topic to why he was on Earth in the first place. 

"Yeah, sure," Dende scratched one of his antennae. "It's Monday, so we've got a whole week to arrange things. So, Goku, is there anything you plan on doing, or anyone else that you want to talk to while on Earth?"

Goku paused his bouncing, thinking about it. "Um...." 

Goku nodded. "Piccolo. And . . . probably Chichi." He put his hands on his hips as he thought, his eyebrows furrowing a little bit. "Or . . . maybe not...." He bowed his head a little, then brought a hand up to scratch his head. "I mean, I . . . I know I want to talk to Piccolo first. And probably . . . decide what to do after that...." 

He didn't want to hurt Chichi, and he didn't know if seeing him after all this time would hurt her or make her feel better. Especially since he wasn't here to stay....

"I understand." Dende nodded. "Since you've been gone for so long…Goku, what's been going on in Otherworld? What have you been doing there?"  
Goku lowered his hand and put it back onto his hip. "Well, I got to participate in an Otherworld tournament. It was a lot of fun, and I made some good friends. I've also been exploring and discovering new planets in Otherworld. Did you know that there are living people in Otherworld? Not everyone's dead!"

"Living people in Otherworld?" Dende's expression changed to that of a curious child, showing just how young he actually was. "How is that possible?"

"I have no idea, but there are, and they have really interesting ways of living! When Cell found me, I had found a place where they used energy instead of money! And there's a planet that is very sparsely inhabited, but it has gravity in both the ground and the clouds, and the gravity pulls you every which way, sometimes even sideways, and there was King Kai's planet, but that blew up when I teleported me and Cell to Otherworld to save the Earth, but then there's - !" 

And he went on and on about the different planets and people that he had met in Otherworld, both living and dead.

Dende listened with interest, sipping on a cup of coffee that Mr. Popo had given him to keep awake. Hours passed as Goku described in surprising detail all the places he had explored, and people he had met. Dende only interrupted Goku whenever he had questions, and mounds of food disappeared as Goku ate in-between stories.

\---****----

Piccolo exhaled, done with his meditation. It was just dawn, faint light streaking across the horizon. Shadows changed as the light started to spread, illuminating the world around him. He took in a deep breath, the scent of clean air and trees crisp and refreshing, bring his mind back to his body. He stood up, stretching, then rolled his shoulders, and lifted himself up in the air. It was time to go home.

As Piccolo landed on the edge of the Lookout, he felt a familiar energy. It was Saiyan. It belonged to a person who had died four and half years ago. It was Goku.   
After his keen ears picked up snips of conversations where he could pick out Goku's voice, it finally sank in; Goku was here on the lookout. Without conscious thought, Piccolo's body broke into a run, taking him through the hallways, until he arrived at the door to the kitchen. Taking a deep breath, he calmed his excited nerves and turned the knob. 

There, at the small table that normally he, Dende, and Mr. Popo used for meals, was sitting Earth's hero, clad in a dark blue gi instead of the normal orange, devouring massive amounts of food.   
Piccolo finally seemed to find his voice, as he addressed his old friend. 

"Goku."


End file.
